Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-12-23

The assess ment roll of this county 70
the present year shows the tollowin,
figures:
Personal Property Observation-Disclosures. Si65, sc
Real Estate .-............ ........... 1873 Al
improvements of Real Estate .-...... lo5 OG
CITY Lots .....,.......... 81 ~
| Money .......................... 10,
Total Valuation. Observation-Disclosures S7i9 IL
We ask every taX-paying citizen oi
this county to consider the valuation o
the real estate and ask himself what il
means. According to the assessmen nj
roll man could come here with $780,
600 and buy all the real estate in the
county. Why is this? Why is not the
value of the real estate higher? 1t is
very evident that there is a mistake
som ewhere. Our citizens who pay
taxes on real estate ought to ask them
selves these questions, because they are
the interested parties. They are pay
ing taxes on tie full value of their land
and Improvements and other property.
They are practically living under sys-
tenn of double taxation, and we propose
to show them how and why the defect
can and should be remedied.
The fault lies in the fact that in this
county only that real estate is taxed for
which a patent is issued, while other
lands on which final proof has been
made, but for which a patent has not
yet issued is not taxed at all. Only the
improvem. nts thereon are taxed. Now
we submit that this system is all wrong.
er's final certificate is, for all practical
purposes, as good AS a patent. 1t shows
that proof on the land has been made in
conformity with law, and accepted by
the government through its officers in
the local land districts. IL is their legal
receipt for the purchase price paid for
the land. Money is loaned and mort.
cages are made upon land to which the
receivers final certificate is the only
title. Liens and judgments hold good
OH the land with no other title. In
deed, the land itself is frequently sold
over and over again before the issue of
the patent, and upon no other guaranty
of title than the receivers final cerlifi-
cate. In view of these we'll known
facts we want the tax. payers of this
county whose land and improvements
are taxed to their full value, to ask
why these lands are allowed
to escape taxation year after year. 1t
may be several years before the patent is
issued, and yet these lands are as well
secured to the owner as if the patent
was already in their possession. Upon
the issue of the receivers final certifi-
cate, the title to the land passes from
the United States. The land is no
longer subject to entry, nor will the GER
tifcate be set aside unless it is proven
in the courts that the claimant was
guilty of fraud and perjury. Indeed,
SO secure do the people feel with the
receivers certificate in their possession
that they frequently go away aud lea We
he land for years. This is the feature
which attracted our attention to the
subject in this county. Scores of young
fellows having secured title to their pre-
emption and homestead claims on this
prairie, go elsewhere, leaving their land
lnimproved and paying no taxes on it.
II is u double disadvantage and detri.
nent to the county, because they not
only escape taxation, but the actual res
dents who stay here and improve their
places aud pay taxes thereon are la
boring all the time to enhance the value
Of the lands owned by these non-resi-
dents and non-taxpayers. !
We say that this is not right, that it is
not just, and that it ought to be rene.
died at once by the taxation of all the
and in this county on which final proof
has been made. In Nez Perce county,
and in all other counties of this and ad- |
Joining territories these lands are all
subject TO taxation, and the result is
seen in the greatly increased assessment
valuation Oh tne real estate VI tHOSe |
aud consequent reduction OF
taxation to the people at large. There
are only 500 actual taxpayers on the
roll of this county. There
ought to be at least 200. If the owners
Of these land were taxed on the land
hey own. There is very little land
now remaining on Camas prairie, Craig's
and across Clearwater which
has not been proved up on, and if it
was taxed, the assessment valuation OF
the real estate in Idaho county would
be more than half million dollars. AS
matters stand now, these lands might
just as well be located on the reservation
and owned by Indians, for all the good
they are TO this county.
If land on Camas prairie is worth
owning, it is worth paying taxes on, and
We want to see them taxed. Let the
board of commissioners cause list of
In ,l, 70 ha ynaIa ont onA nc nj